International

Alarm is growing in Russia for crimes of convicts pardoned by Putin to fight in Ukraine

The increase in crimes committed by convicts pardoned to fight in Ukraine by Russian President Vladimir Putin, has triggered the social alarm among Russians.

“The murder of a 12-year-old girl in the Kémerovo region has revealed a terrible threat (…) A man tried on several occasions, convicted of homicide, was released from prison to participate in the war and returned to civilian life committed a new brutal crime,” Russian deputy Nina Ostánina denounced on Telegram.

The crime, which has impacted Russian society, came to light on Wednesday, when the lifeless body of the minor was found with signs of a violent death.

The authorities attributed it to a former war combatant who had been recruited from prison, where he was serving a sentence of 13 and a half years for the murder of a woman, after having been tried at least six times for various crimes.

The legislator, responsible for the committee for the protection of the family and children of the Russian Duma or chamber of deputies, warned that “there will be more crimes like this.”

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“When returning from the front, these people turned out not to be ready for their social reintegration and represent a threat to society,” he said.

Therefore, he called on the Russian authorities to “assume the responsibility of protecting citizens from criminals like these” through “constant control” and help their reintegration into labor.

In addition, he made the preparations for a bill that would regulate this matter.

“We must act without delay. Nightmares like this cannot be allowed to repeat. Our children deserve a safe life and protection from ruthless criminals,” he said.

After the beginning of the war in Ukraine and the call to the ranks of inmates, a practice promoted by the Russian mercenary company Wagner, Russia has been affected by a wave of crimes and crimes committed by these people upon their return from the battlefield.

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This same Thursday, the digital media Gazeta.ru reported the case of a pregnant young woman who lost her child as a result of a beating by a member of Wagner who had also been recruited from between bars.

The doctors found that the woman suffered head injuries, fracture of ribs and phalanges of the hands, as well as multiple bruises and cardinals, however, despite the fact that the culprit was arrested, he managed to avoid the trial when he returned to the front.

In April of this year, another Wagnerite killed a woman in the Leningrad region and dismembered her; and in March, another ex-convict and member of Wagner stabbed at least 15 times to the woman he lived with and later cut her ear, just two examples from a long list.

According to the independent digital media Viorstka, in the last two years about fifty people have died at the hands of veterans of war in Ukraine recruited from Russian prisons.

Most of the victims turn out to be the relatives or neighbors of these people for domestic reasons and are usually crimes related to the consumption of alcoholic beverages

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Central America

Nicaragua revokes legal status of 10 more NGOs, bringing total to over 5,600

The Nicaraguan government canceled the legal status of 10 more non-profit organizations on Friday (March 28, 2025), including the Swiss Foundation for Development Cooperation, bringing the total number of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) shut down since December 2018 to over 5,600.

According to the Ministry of the Interior, the Swiss Foundation for Development Cooperation, which had been registered since March 9, 2002, was found to be in non-compliance for failing to report its financial status for 2024 and for having an expired board of directors.

Among the 10 NGOs whose legal status was revoked were religious organizations, educational groups, consumer associations, and aquaculture organizations, all dissolved “voluntarily” or closed under similar reasons.

As of today, more than 5,600 NGOs have been dismantled following the popular protests that erupted in April 2018 in Nicaragua. In most cases, the assets of these organizations have been ordered to be transferred to the state.

International

Marco Rubio warns Venezuela against military action against Guyana

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned Venezuela on Thursday that a military attack on Guyana would be “a big mistake” and “a very bad day for them,” expressing his support for Georgetown in its territorial dispute with Caracas.

“It would be a very bad day for the Venezuelan regime if they attacked Guyana or ExxonMobil. It would be a very bad day, a very bad week for them, and it would not end well,” Rubio emphasized during a press conference in Georgetown alongside Guyanese President Irfaan Ali.

International

Ecuador oil spill worsens as containment dam collapses

The collapse of a containment dam holding back part of the 25,000+ barrels of oil spilled from a pipeline rupture nearly two weeks ago has worsened the environmental crisis in northwestern Ecuador, contaminating rivers and Pacific beaches.

The Ecuadorian government attributed the March 13 pipeline rupture—which led to the spill of 25,116 barrels of crude—to an act of sabotage. The spill affected three rivers and disrupted water supplies for several communities, according to authorities.

On Tuesday, due to heavy rains that have been falling since January, a containment dam on the Caple River collapsed. The Caple connects to other waterways in Esmeraldas Province, a coastal region bordering Colombia, state-owned Petroecuador said in a statement on Wednesday.

Seven containment barriers were installed in the Viche River, where crews worked to remove oil-contaminated debris. Additional absorbent materials were deployed in Caple, Viche, and Esmeraldas Rivers, which flow into the Pacific Ocean.

Authorities are also working to protect a wildlife refuge home to more than 250 species, including otters, howler monkeys, armadillos, frigatebirds, and pelicans.

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“This has been a total disaster,” said Ronald Ruiz, a leader in the Cube community, where the dam was located. He explained that the harsh winter rains caused river levels to rise, bringing debris that broke the containment barriersthat were holding the accumulated oil for extraction.